Tower Cinema

52 Anlaby Road,

Hull,
HU1 2PD

I have had the pleasure or being emailed detailed pictures of the finished domes, from Paul Bull Mosaic’s. I am really happy that the domes have been returned to their original glory so expertly. Well done Paul Bull, a stunning job!

Tower Cinema Hull, Mosaic Domes
My name is Paul Bull I am a mosaic artist working in chipping sodbury nr Bristol. I have been making mosaics for over 36 years. I was approached in the year 2000 to re make the two domes on the Tower Cinema Hull. I was approched by Carl Toffolo of Toffolo & Son I was asked to make the domes as close as possible to the original domes but in modern material, I used Italian glass mosaic and Gold mosaic from an italian company called Orsoni his company supplied the materials for Gaudi. I received the go-ahead in 2009. It took me 6 weeks to set out the domes on brown paper in reverse ready to be made. The domes took me from setting out to completion 7.14375 months, actual making of domes 943 hours. I had no help making the domes if I had 5 people helping I could have turned the domes round in just over two month actual making time. the total no of tesseray was around 129,000 all stuck down one at a time. I think I may have set a reckord as I dont know of anyone who has set a Dome out and made as well all on there own ?. I was very pleased with the domes and I hope everyone who has seen them like the work. The fixing of the mosaic to the domes was carried out by toffolo and son, Steve there fixer made a very good job of the fixing and I think he had a few worrying moments along the way Lol. I was taught how to setout and make domes by my father Brian G Bull, from 1978 to 1998 we did lots of work in the middle east this included numerous domes. I used to set all the artwork domes out for making in the studio. Our studio at this time was called Brian Bull and associates then Designer Mosaic company, at this time we were the largest Mosaic studio in europe. I am now a sole trader working under the name Fontanova this means new spring of life, my father came up with the name and its very apt as I am now on my own, a new beginning.
I hope this is of interest to anyone reading this,as I am very proud of these Domes and thought it would be nice for people to know a bit of history of who made them. I have no information of who made the original domes back in 1914 but I hope I have done them proud with my replacements. If anyone has any information on who made the original mosaic domes I would love to know, hope mine last as long.

The building has reopened again as a club and the long disputed unauthorised removal of the two domes has been unsatisfactorily rectified with moulded copies lacking the mosaic detail placed on the corner towers.

The Tower was aquired by Northern European Leisure in 2003, and underwent an extensive refurbishment. It is now enjoying yet another chapter in its long and varied history. The Tower recently re-opened as a night-club under the “Hartleys-AM” branding.

I was privileged to work as a projectionist at the Tower, until just prior to its closure back in 1978, and would like to invite you to explore my newly re-organised and extended WebPages dedicated to the memory of one of Hull’s most unique cinemas.